While the U.S. State Department said it was monitoring reports concerning an American held in the West Bank, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on the White House and Congress to secure the release of Abdalkareem Issa Ahmed Safi.
In a statement Friday, CAIR said Safi had been held in an Israeli prison for nearly four months without being charged.
CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said the Israeli government’s imprisonment of Americans without charges or due process should be deemed unacceptable by the White House and Congress. Awad called on Congress to use its oversight authority to pressure the State Department to act for Safi’s swift and safe release.
Awad also argued that the administration has a legal and moral obligation to protect U.S. citizens abroad. The statement said Safi had faced no criminal charges during his nearly four months in an Israeli prison.
Claims surrounding Safi’s detention
The U.S.-based organization American Muslims for Palestine alleged that Israeli forces raided Safi’s family home in June in Jalazone, north of the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The organization said Safi was the third U.S. citizen of Palestinian descent to be detained by Israeli forces without charges or a trial. The statement alleged that Sama Safi and Adam Karakrah were also being held in a similar manner.
An administrative detention order was issued for Safi days after his detention. The practice allows people to be held without charges or trial. The order was allegedly based on information that was not disclosed to his lawyer or family.
U.S. State Department monitors the case
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the department was aware of reports concerning an American held in the West Bank. The spokesperson said the administration takes seriously its commitment to assisting U.S. citizens abroad and was monitoring Safi’s situation.
The spokesperson also said efforts were being made to ensure that Americans detained abroad have access to appropriate medical care, are treated humanely and receive regular consular visits. The department declined to comment further, citing privacy and other considerations.
